Antirattler thill-coupling.



No. 843,736. PATENTBD FEB. 12, 1907, W.1G'OX,

ANTIRATTLBR THILL COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR-18,1906.

J 2 Q 6 G2 1 I llllflillwi 7 i may WALTER COX, OF PROVO, UTAH.

ANTERATTLER THILL=COUPLENGE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12,1907.

Application filed April 18,1906. Serial No. 312,398.

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER Cox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Provo city, county of Utah, and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Antirattler Thill Couplings or Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to antirattler thill couplings and supports.

The object of the present invention is the provision of a simple, strong, and inexpensive thill-coupling of novel construction, the parts of which may be quickly and easily coupled or uncoupled and which are provided with a buii'er or cushion positioned and acting in a novel manner and adapted for ready detachment when it is desired to uncouple the thills or to substitute a new buffer when the one in use becomes worn, and in this connection the invention contemplates the provision of an elastic buffer, preferably of rubber, which will take up lost motion, and thus possesses advantages not had by the use of inelastic or non-expansible buffers or filling-pieces.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means in a thill-coupling for holding the thill in raised position.

The invention is set forth in detail hereinafter and recited in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the complete coupling; Fig. 2, a top view; Fig. 3, details of the part of the coupling intended to be attached to the axle of the vehicle; Fig. 4, details of the part of l the coupling intended to be attached to the thill Fig. 5, a detail of the cushion or buffer, and Fig. 6 a view showing the position of the parts when the buffer is being slipped into position or when the thill is raised and also showing how the thill-supporter may be turned so as to hold the thill in raised position.

The numeral 1 designates that part of the coupling which is intended to be attached to the usual U -shaped clevis or yoke on the axle, holes 2 being provided for this purpose. This member is provided in its head with an elongated slot 3, extending crosswise from side to side thereof and rounded at its for ward end and also provided with an entranceslot 4.

The numeral 5 designates a loose pin with side arm M, which may be turned into and out of position to support the thills when raised or let them down when desired.

The numeral 6 designates the member of the thill-coupling which is adapted for connection to the thill, bolt-holes 7 being provided for this purpose. This member has a fork 8 of an interior dimension slightly greater than the width of the head of member 1, and it is adapted to receive said head. l Velded or otherwise secured to the head 8 is a pin 9,

' which projects crosswise of the fork and is adapted for reception in the slot 3 by passage through the entrance 4 thereof. The upper edge of one member of the forked head 8 is provided with a cut-out or step-shaped groove or slot 10. I

The numeral 11 designates the cushion or buffer, which is of substantial T shape in cross-section, and this cushion is of elastic material, such. as rubber, the advantage of using rubber or elastic material being that the buffer tends to expand and take up lost motion after the parts become worn, while it effectively deadens or prevents rattling or noise. This buffer or cushion 11 is of such size and shape that one edge thereof is adapted to just pass through the notch 10, while the entire buffer is of a size and shape to fill the slot 4 and all but the forward rounded end of slot 3. This buffer is of substantially the width of the head of member 1, so that when the parts are coupled together it is held against lateral displacement by the members of fork 8.

Assuming that the parts 1 and 6 are detached and it is desired to couple them, the fork S is dropped over the head of member 1, the pin 9 passing through the slot 4 and into slot 3, and it is then pulled to the forward rounded end of slot 3. If the member 6 has not previously been swung into upright position, as shown in Fig. 6, it will thus be manipulated and the cushion or buffer 11 can then be slid laterally through the notch 10 into the slots 3 and 4 until it has passed beyond the inner face of the forked member 8, through which it has been slipped, whereupon the member 6 can be dropped and the parts will then be coupled together, the members of fork 8 by their abutment against the ends of the cushion 11 holding said cushion in position while the cushion bears against the pin 9 and holds it yieldingly in the forward rounded end of slot 3, thereby taking up lost motion and preventing any noise or rattling. As the cushion 11 becomes worn its inherent resiliency or elasticity causes it to expand and still take up lost motion; but when it is necessary to insert another cushion the member 6 can be raised, as shown in Fig.

6, and the cushion slid out. This operation may also take place whenever it is desired to detach the members 6 and 1 from each other.

When it is desired to support the thills in raised position, they are swung upwardly and the arm M of each thill-coupling is turned round and forms a stop or abutment against which the members 6 rest.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a thill-coupling, the combination of thill and axle members, one of which has a slot provided with a narrower entrancemouth and the other having a fork straddling the member which has the slot, said forked member having a projection received in the slot, and said forked member also having a notched edge, and a filling or antirattler member adapted to be entered in the slot and entrance-mouth by passage through the notch aforesaid and to hold the projection in the slot.

2. In a thill-coupling, the combination of thill and axle members, one of which has a slot provided with a narrower entrancemouth and the other having a fork straddlin'g the member which has the slot, said forked member having a projection received in the slot, and said forked member also having a notched edge, and an elastic filling 0r antirattler-cushion adapted to be entered in the slot by passage through the notch aforesaid and by its elasticity hold the projection in the slot and take up lost motion.

3. In a thill-coupling, the combination of thill and axle members, oneof which has a slot provided with a narrower entrancemouth and the other having a fork straddling the member which has the slot, said forked member having a projection received in the slot, and said forked member also having a notched edge, and a filling or antirat-' tler member of such conformation as to fit the slot and the entrance-mouth thereof and adapted to be entered in the slot and entrance-mouth by passage through the notch aforesaid when the thill-coupling members are in a certain predetermined position, said filling member being adapted to hold the projection in the slot.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER COX.

Witnesses ALFRED L. BOOTH, HARVEY CLUFF. 

